- Economics
- Immigration
- Answering Challenges to Advanced Economies
Immigrants from five Asian countries — India, China, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines — account for much of the growth in U.S. software developers, scientists, engineers, and physicians since 1990. What forces drove this migration of foreign talent? What are the economic effects in the United States? In the source countries? Steve talks about these matters with Gaurav Khanna, who has done extensive research on high-skilled immigration and its economic consequences.
Recorded on January 6, 2026.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Gaurav Khanna is associate professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego and an editor at the Journal of Labor Economics. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan, an MSc in Economics for Development from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. Khanna is a fellow at the Center for Global Development and a research associate with the National Bureau of Economics Research (NBER).
- Visit Gaurav Khanna’s Website
Steven Davis is the Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Hoover Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). He is a research associate of the NBER, IZA research fellow, elected fellow of the Society of Labor Economists, and consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He co-founded the Economic Policy Uncertainty project, the U.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes, the Global Survey of Working Arrangements, the Survey of Business Uncertainty, and the Stock Market Jumps project. He also co-organizes the Asian Monetary Policy Forum, held annually in Singapore. Before joining Hoover, Davis was on the faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, serving as both distinguished service professor and deputy dean of the faculty.
RELATED SOURCES
- “From Asia, with Skills” by Gaurav Khanna, 2025.
- “The Ripple Effects of China’s College Expansion on American Universities” by Jia, Khanna, Li, and Xu, 2025.
- “Abundance from Abroad: Migrant Income and Long-Run Economic Development” by Khanna, Murathanoglu, Theoharides, and Yang, 2025.
- “Brain Drain or Brain Gain? Effects of High-Skilled International Emigration on Origin Countries” by Batista et al., 2025.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Each episode of Economics, Applied, a video podcast series, features senior fellow Steven Davis in conversation with leaders and researchers about economic developments and their ramifications. The goal is to bring evidence and economic reasoning to the table, drawing lessons for individuals, organizations, and society. The podcast also aims to showcase the value of individual initiative, markets, the rule of law, and sound policy in fostering prosperity and security.
For more information, visit hoover.org/podcasts/economics-applied.
